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Advancements Would Give Spirit Added Teeth

Northrop Grumman told ANN last week the defense contractor is
taking the first steps toward giving the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
the ability to destroy moving targets under a current contract with
the US Air Force.

Under a one-year, $9.33 million contract, the company has begun
preparing the B-2 to carry and deploy small, precision-guided
weapons such as the 250-pound class Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB
II). The company's work is focused on upgrading the aircraft's
current display and weapon interfaces to accommodate this class of
weapons. The SDB-II is currently in development and source
selection.

"This new Moving Target Kill (MTK) capability is the latest in a
series of upgrades defined by the Air Force/Northrop Grumman-led
industry team to increase the lethality and fighting effectiveness
of the B-2," said Dave Mazur, vice president of Long Range Strike
for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "It will allow
commanders to deal decisively with an increasingly decentralized
and mobile enemy under all weather conditions."

Implementing the MTK capability requires upgrading the B-2's
current analog, multi-function cockpit displays and qualifying
several of its radar modes to perform the MTK function. Under the
current contract, Northrop Grumman is developing and testing a
brassboard version of the replacement displays in a laboratory
environment. The new systems will be able to display both analog
and digital data.

Northrop Grumman has also started planning for the required
installation of the Universal Armament Interface (UAI) on the B-2.
The UAI is a new "plug and play"-like interface developed by the
Air Force to reduce the time and costs required to integrate
precision guided weapons on airborne platforms. It standardizes the
physical connections and communications protocols used to pass
information between an aircraft and the on-board weapons
stores.

Full implementation of the UAI will also require upgrading the
B-2's display control processor and its stores management
processor. Those upgrades are not a part of the current
contract.

The MTK capability is the latest in a series of B-2
modernization efforts undertaken by Northrop Grumman and its
subcontractors to help the Air Force ensure that the aircraft
remains fully capable against evolving threats.